Tinca/Docs/Widgets/GPS Display

GPS Display

PRO
SENSORS · 11 FIELDS · 2×2 DEFAULT
Fix
Lat48.85660048.85655048.856650
Lon2.3522002.3521502.352250
Alt35.2 m33.0 m37.4 m

GPS coordinates from NavSatFix data

When to reach for it

GPS Display renders the live latitude, longitude, and altitude from a NavSatFix topic, with a fix-status dot and optional accuracy/satellite chips. Use it on outdoor robots for a numeric position readout. For heading only, Compass is lighter. For a visual trail of GPS fixes drawn on the map instead of numbers, enable GPS Position Layer (Pro) inside Map 2D.

Worked example: mavros GPS

GPS Topic /mavros/global_position/global, schema sensor_msgs/msg/NavSatFix. Show Accuracy Chip on, Accuracy Source auto: this schema carries no hdop or eph, so auto falls straight through to the NavSatFix covariance branch. Satellites Source only picks which field of this same topic to read, not a second topic: against this stream, Show Satellites Chip reads "-- SAT" regardless. A real count needs GPS Topic itself pointed at a mavros GPSRAW-shaped stream, e.g. /mavros/gpsstatus/gps1/raw, trading away this example's NavSatFix-based Lat/Lon/Alt reading.

Watch out for
  • More decimal places than the receiver actually achieves just looks more precise than it is.
  • Turning on Show Satellites Chipagainst a topic with no count does not hide the chip: it still renders and reads "-- SAT" forever, which reads like a stuck sensor rather than a config mismatch.
  • Both chips also need room: they stay off below 145px of widget height, so toggling one on inside a small cell silently does nothing.

Configuration fields

GPS Topictopic

The topic this widget reads data from. While connected, tap to pick from the topics the robot advertises.

Show Accuracy Chipboolean

Horizontal position accuracy (±N m). Derived from NavSatFix covariance, or read directly when the message exposes hdop/eph (GPSFix, mavros). Needs enough vertical room to render.

Accuracy Sourceselect

Where to read accuracy from. Auto walks hdop → eph → NavSatFix covariance based on the message shape.

Auto (detect from message)NavSatFix CovarianceGPSFix HDOPmavros EPHCustom field
Accuracy Field Pathfield-path

Numeric field path to read as horizontal accuracy (meters).

Show Satellites Chipboolean

Number of GPS satellites in view (N SAT). Only renders when the message carries the count. GPSFix and mavros GPSRAW expose it; plain NavSatFix does not.

Satellites Sourceselect

Where to read the satellite count from. Auto walks status.satellites_used → satellites_visible based on the message shape.

Auto (detect from message)GPSFix (status.satellites_used)mavros (satellites_visible)Custom field
Satellites Field Pathfield-path

Numeric field path to read as the satellite count.

Show Labelboolean

Show a name on the widget.

Labelstring
Decimal Placesslider

1 to 7 digits. 6 is ~10cm precision, 7 is survey-grade.

1 to 7, step 1
Altitude Unitselect

NavSatFix altitude is meters per ROS REP-105; this picker only changes the display.

Meters (m)Feet (ft)